The actor — one of a handful of men to play the Man of Steel over the years in high-profile film and television projects — reveals his thoughts on the new pic and admits why he dozed off during part of it.

It's been nearly 20 years since the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman signed off for good in 1997, bringing an end to Dean Cain's well-received portrayal of the beloved Man of Steel on the small screen. In the years that have passed, the 49-year-old hasn't shied away from his association with Superman or the legacy of playing the iconic DC Comics superhero.

And when The Hollywood Reporter asked for his take on the latest (and record-breaking) rollout of the rebooted Warner Bros. Pictures franchise — Zack Snyder's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill — he didn't hesitate then, either, even if that meant having to juggle super-dad duties helping son Christopher learn to drive with talking on the phone. Super, for sure.

Below, Cain gets candid on his reaction to the film ("too long"), his own career ("I don't ever like to be idle") and why he's jealous of Cavill's Superman duds (he's "lucky"). (And if you haven't yet seen the film, be warned: Spoilers ahead!)

I see that you spent part of your Easter Sunday in the theater, checking out Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice at the Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas in Westlake Village. What did you think?

Yes, my son and I went to see it. My son hated it because Superman died. It made me very happy that he took it so personally and that he has such a strong connection to the character (laughs). The movie obviously was so well made; the effects were incredible. It was too long, though, and I admit, I dozed off a tiny bit, but maybe that's because I was tired after a lot of traveling. Ben was great as Batman and Henry is a very good Superman. This incarnation is so dark compared to the lightness of the Superman I've grown to know and love, as seen in the two versions that I grew up with — Christopher Reeve and myself. That's the only difference to me. [This movie] inhabits a dark world and Superman is such an alien in that world. Wonder Woman is really easy on the eyes, and I love that they introduced the other guys, the Justice League, because those stories are very cool. I loved how they did that. But I don't see how you have a Justice League without Superman.

But that is left open with the last-second rustling of the dirt on his coffin, right?

That is so subtle (laughs).

What's your take on Henry Cavill as Superman? And his suit?

The suit looks fantastic; the suit is amazing! I would call him lucky to get that suit instead of the Lycra that I had. Henry is a big, physical guy, and he looks “super," if you will (laughs). I've met him before and he has that Superman special something. This is a different incarnation, as I've mentioned. My favorite of all time will always be Christopher Reeve. He'll always be Superman in my eyes.

And how does Amy Adams' Lois Lane compare to your Lois, Teri Hatcher?

Amy is a fantastic actress. She really is a fantastic actress. But I will say that the finest Lois Lane ever is Teri Hatcher. There is no Lois in history that compares.

Are you still in touch?

We're in touch, yes. We don't hang out and have Sunday night dinner, but I would always be up for that. With life and work, you grow apart and have your kids and things, which makes it hard.

Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher appear in a promotional still as the title characters of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which aired from 1993-1997.

It might be too late now to avoid spoilers, but I'll say this: Superman has a rougher go than any other character in this film. What was that like to watch?

It's odd for me to watch that because of that incredible strength that he possesses. Whenever I played him, I played Superman as if I had a secret that nobody else knew. That secret is that you could always win. It seemed that Superman didn't have that in this film. That was different for me. I don't like seeing him get kicked around so hard. But what I did like a lot is that Superman was so heroic in this film and sacrificed himself before anything or anyone else. That is definitely in tune with the Superman that I know and love.

You've never shied away from your associations with Superman, saying that it's the greatest thing to be associated with a character who is powerful yet retains good American, Midwestern values. Does that still ring true for you?

Absolutely — 100 percent. That statement could not ring any more true for me than it does today. What would he do in any situation, I should be able to tell you how he would react. That's who the character is. I would never shy away from his original motto of truth, justice and the American way. I live in Malibu, California, and I have a good, respectful young man for a son. I'm raising him with those same core values in mind, and he's a really good kid.

Also, you've always been vocal politically. What is your opinion on the current presidential race? Will you vote for Donald Trump?

Boy, he generates a lot of publicity, doesn't he? He is not my candidate. I've been in Austria for the last eight weeks filming the reality show The Jump, which was so much fun I can't even tell you. I lost about 25 pounds, skiing six hours a day. It was great. But because of that, I haven't been following the political stuff that closely. I've been back for a week or so now. The truth is, I am conservative but socially, I'm very liberal. I will say that I'm shocked that Bernie Sanders is even in the race at this point in time, being a Democratic socialist. Those are not American values in the least. I'm not a Trump guy, but I do like what he's done with political speak. He's changed the conversation quite a bit. It's interesting to watch that happen. If I had to vote today, I would vote for Ted Cruz. I like his social policies, his foreign policies and his stance in protecting the Constitution. I find him to be the most presidential of the bunch.

I wrote two features last year and it looks like they both are going to get made this year. I'm very excited about that. I like to keep really, really, really busy. The truth is, I like to do it all and I don't ever like to be idle. I'm excited about Lady Dynamite with Maria Bamford for Netflix. It's a silly, ridiculous comedy. I hope it meshes with people. And I made this tough movie called Gosnell, about the Philadelphia abortion doctor who is in jail for murder. It's a really tough film.

You're also playing Supergirl's adoptive foster father on TV. What has that been like?

I love doing Supergirl. I love being a part of that legend and mythos. And I love how they've crossed over with The Flash. And then I'm on a VH1 show called Hit the Floor, which just finished its Season 3, the finale just aired. I'm hoping for a Season 4. It may be among my favorite acting jobs ever. It's a wonderful cast, and it's a pleasure to go to work everyday.